Labor Fights Back Against Independents Promise to Cap Rates

BY TYLER FARDELL

With the September elections right around the corner, the Newcastle Independents have announced their first major policy they would introduce if they won the election.

They've promised to cap council rates at the consumer price index (CPI), undoing Labor's decision two years ago to increase rates by 46.9%.

It's a move which would save ratepayers an estimated $350 dollars over the next two years, while still enabling Council to maintain its capital expenditure program at record levels.

Lord Mayoral candidate for the Independents Kath Elliott has stated that Council failed to spend the money associated with the rate rise this year, and she's confident that Council is hiding a predicted surplus of $15 million dollars.

"It's unfair that Labor has imposed such a large tax on ratepayers", she said.

"This shows a complete disregard by Labor for the hardships that ratepayers face".

However, Labor councillors have hit back at the Independents, saying Council is in the best shape of its life and reducing rates to the CPI would stop the delivery of every project and service upgrade undertaken by Council.

Deputy Lord Mayor Jason Dunn has stated the Independents plan is a backwards step.

"By undoing all the hard work and decisions that we have made to deliver long-term financial sustainability, the Lib-dependents plan will send us back down the road to insolvency", he said.

They've backed up the effectiveness of the introduction of the rate rise by reminding residents that in 2015, IPART certified Newcastle Council as being 'financially fit for the future', largely due to the increased rates.

Meanwhile, Labor Councillor Declan Clausen has hit back against the claims of surplus money being wasted.

"Surpluses are invested back into the community- Council isn't a for-profit organisation", he said. "These funds are budgeted to deliver the infrastructure upgrades our community desires".

Labor Councillors say work on many projects around Newcastle including
Bathers Way may be stopped if rates were lowered.
source; Newcastle Herald

Newcastle Independents running for election

BY JAMES WARD

The Newcastle Independents have formed to contest the Newcastle City Council election on September 9th.

The group will field candidates who are against the Labor/Greens rate rise of 46.9% and also want to see an end to party politics that have caused problems for Council in recent years.

Lord Mayoral candidate, Kath Elliot, says the group have considered running for some time after witnessing the dysfunction in the council room.

"It's really important to take party politics out of local government so that the people that are in council making decisions are making them based on what the community wants and not based on what a political party might see as furthering their own agenda," Elliot said.

A local businesswoman, Kath Elliot will run for Lord Mayor as she has experience in Newcastle civic life.

" The local independents want to speak to the community and we are already out there talking to the community and asking them what they are concerned about and what their views are and also listening to people and understanding what is important to them, I think that is a very important part of Council."

Also in the Maitland local election, 41-year-olds, Todd Holden and Ben Quinn have joined the election race.

The two local men have joined Brian Burke's campaign and they aim to bring fresh ideas to the Council coming from a younger generation.

Source: Newcastle City Council